Road rage lorry driver ‘could have killed child’

Judge's court wig and hammer or gavel

Published:11:38Monday 11 June 2018

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A lorry driver punched a man in a road rage incident in Portadown after he believed he would not let him pass and was goading him by braking and speeding, Craigavon Magistrates Court heard last Wednesday.

The court heard that on October 6 the injured party was driving his car along the Armagh Road towards Portadown with his young daughter a front seat passenger.

The car in front on him was an ‘R’ driver who was travelling at 45mph and he noticed a lorry so close behind him he could see its grill.

The lorry attempted to overtake the car and flashed its lights and sounded its horn.

When the injured party was stopped at traffic lights the defendant approached the vehicle and knocked on the window.

The driver got out of the car and went towards Dunkley who punched him to the face and he fell to the ground. The victim had to be brought to hospital.

The defendant made a counter allegation saying the other person had not been allowing him to pass.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, said this was ‘a very, very, nasty, nasty, nasty offence’ and in any collision between a road user and a lorry the road user came off worse every single time. “I think this is despicable behaviour,” she added.

A barrister representing Dunkley said his client had no record for public order offences and was resident in Coventry. He had flown over to meet the case.

He added that the defendant believed the driver in front was braking and then speeding up to goad him.

Judge Kelly said the driver was doing that to let him know he was too close and to back off.

The lawyer said that no assault charge had been proffered as it was accepted the man got out of the car aggressively and a punch was thrown at Dunkley who struck the injured party in retaliation.